Four Topps, #320

Has everyone recovered from the unbelievable Fenway finish from last night?  I was flipping between that, the Sunday Night Football game in Dallas, and the season premiere of The Walking Dead.  Unfortunately, I kinda tuned out of the baseball when I saw the 5-1 Detroit advantage.  A lesson learned: Don't ever count out the Sox til the final out.

Anyhow, on we move with another edition of Four Topps.  On this Columbus Day 2013, Random.org gifted us an All-Star caliber card number: #320.

Let's see who we've got...

1987

Oh jeez, what can I say about this card?  It's obviously one of the iconic collectibles from the late '80s.  While it isn't his XRC, this was Barry's first appearance in a regular 792-card Topps set.  I have a few copies of this card, but the one I scanned is from my '87 Topps binder.  It's the one I pulled from a pack when I was a kid; before I knew who or what Barry Bonds was.  It's gonna be tough for any of the remaining three cards to best this one. Hey, Stat Man:  Bonds cranked 16 homers in 113 games for the Bucs in 1986.

1988

Tigers fans have gotta be licking their wounds still from last night's lost opportunity.  As a means for incremental recuperation, may we offer you an Alan Trammell card from 1988?  This was one of the final cards I had to track down to complete my '88 set, so that's what stands out the most for me.  It's not the most exciting action shot of the Detroit All-Star, but  it's a pretty nice card nonetheless.  Hey, Stat Man:  Trammell surpassed the 200-hit mark for the first time in his career with 205 during the '87 season.

1989

"Sweet" Lou Whitaker played second base for the Tigers for nearly two decades and collected 2,369 hits--sixth most in Detroit annals, one spot ahead of the aforementioned Trammell.  The stern and focused scowl on Lou's face as he takes a few practice cuts is by far this card's best feature.  Intentional or not, it's like his looking straight at the photographer.  Hey, Stat Man:  In just 115 games, Whitaker crafted a .275 average with 12 homers and 55 RBIs in 1988.

1990

The back-to-back Tigers spell is broken up by one of the best hurlers of the '80s.  This is an awesome card of the Toronto All-Star, replete with a terrific action photo and a totally rad purple, orange and Carolina blue color motif.  Hey, Stat Man:  Stieb matched a career high with 17 victories for the Jays in 1989.

And the Winner Is:  Some decent competition, but nothing so overwhelming as to displace the '87 Bonds rookie as the best of the bunch.  It wins not only for its significance in the collecting realm, but also because it's a great looking card.  I'll give the '90 Stieb runner-up honors.

MK